


Little Secrets

by silverlysilence



Series: A Hint of Smallville in Gotham [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Smallville
Genre: Conspiracy Theories, Gen, Secrets, Veritas - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-04 23:07:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6679144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverlysilence/pseuds/silverlysilence
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spring break is over and Clark is studying once again.  As for Alfred, he's searching for some information and ends up finding Clark instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Secrets

Alfred made his way through Gotham’s Historical Library. Each step he took was one full of purpose and determination, back held straight, head high and eyes forward. Thus when he entered the restricted section of the library, no one questioned him. Not even an hour later when a pair of security guards and a trio of librarians walked right by him. None of them stopped to ask him what he was doing in the employees’ only section, they didn't even bat an eye at his presence surrounded by first edition, one of a kinds books.

Alas, the slight deception was all for nothing. Gotham’s Historical Library had even less on the information required than what was currently in the Manor’s library. The Batcomputer had been of no help – there was no digital data available – and the lack of headway was slightly frustrating. He knew Bruce wouldn’t be thrilled the information was unobtainable and quite frankly, he wasn’t either. Alfred was forced to leave the restricted section empty handed.

“Shh… Krypt- …calm… -py…” the aged butler was on his way out when the hushed, broken whispers caught his ear. While the words weren’t clear, the very familiar voice – distinct not just by the Midwestern accent in Gotham, but by the caring tone as well – couldn’t be mistaken.

Alfred didn’t even think as he changed directions and made his way down the mazes of bookshelves, following the hushed sounds. At the end of one particular turn – which led to a dead-end – was a study table covered in large stacks of books, notebooks, and a few empty cups. A worn bookbag with half its contents spilling out leaned up against one of the legs of the table and while the chair might have been empty, the area was not. Not far off, leaning against the wall and surrounded by even more opened books and scattered notes was the owner of the so called bookbag.

“Clark?” Alfred called to the teenaged university student and watched as the boy about came off the floor upon hearing his voice. Immediately, the dark haired man pulled his tan canvas jacket closer around his body as wide green eyes shot up. Only when he met the aged blue eyes of the older gentleman did he let out a breath and slump back down.

“Mr. Pennyworth, you startled me. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be in this part of the library, other than me that is,” Clark greeted with a guilty smile from being caught off guard turning his lips upwards.

“I can tell,” the butler deadpanned, eyes drifting across the table and then towards the floor surrounding the college student. The young man had the decency to flush and duck his head low.

“I was going to clean it all up when I’m finished,” Clark halfheartedly defended himself, pulling his jacket closer to his body.

“I have no doubt about that,” which was the truth, because Clark Kent was raised on a farm and brought up with good old fashion manners that seemingly escaped most of the general population of Gotham. “Already back to the books I see and spring break hasn’t been over for more than twelve hours. I do hope you took my advice and did something for yourself instead of spending the whole week studying.”

“How could I not? You confiscated all of my textbooks and notes when you dropped me off at the bus stop.”

For anyone else, they would have taken the answer at face value and left it as that. However, Alfred Pennyworth had not only been a member of Her Majesty’s Special Forces but had raised Bruce Wayne – the World’s Greatest Detective – as well.

“That doesn’t answer the question Clark.”

The pleased little grin on the farm boy’s face quickly evaporated as green eyes once more widen. When he didn’t answer right away, all Alfred had to do was raise one grey eyebrow while giving the teenager a meaningful look and Clark cracked.

“I mighta, kinda started and maybe finished my term paper for my anthropology class during the break? But you can’t fault me for that! I would’ve been down in the Kawatche Caves anyways. Dr. Willlowbrook allows me full access to the tribal grounds including the caves, so writing the paper wasn’t such a big deal,” the teenager attempted to justify his actions.

Alfred forced himself not to let out the deep, exasperated sigh which threaten to escape his chest. “Should I even ask how you’ve gained full access to – from the sounds of it – a Native American’s sacred tribal land? Land which I am assuming is protected by the tribe to keep outsiders from visiting?”

“I was the one to discovery some of the previous sealed of sections of the cave which housed documented cave drawing thought lost to Dr. Willowbrook's people. Well...Fell into them would be a more accurate description than discovered,” Clark shrugged as if it was no big deal. “Dr. Willowbrook allows me access to show me the progress they’ve made since I did technically rediscovered them.”

The older man had a feeling there was more to the story than that though. Especially since he had heard of Lionel Luthor’s battle in court over the land and lost due to the Historic Artifacts Amendment. Afterwards, Lex Luthor attempted to secure a contract to preserve the area but the Kawatche Tribe had denied him the petition, no longer wanting outsiders to have control of their lands and unless they had express permission from the chief of the tribe and a tribal escort, no one outside the tribe got into those caves.

“So what are you doing here, Mr. Pennyworth?” Alfred was jarred out of his musings by the question, but won’t let it show.

“Just searching for a book that I’m afraid they do not have,” the gentleman replied with the closest answer to the truth.

“Oh, what book? Maybe I can help you find it. I know pretty much all the secondhand shops in a five-mile radius around the university,” the college student offered, awkwardly leaning over to shuffling his notes surrounding him into a neat pile while still holding his jacket closed with his other hand.

Alfred was hesitant to give the name of the author, not wanting to get the young man mixed up in whatever it was they were dealing with. However, even Bruce was unsure of the specifics and couldn’t tell if his current case was dangerous or not. All either of them knew was the little information gained from an aged letter addressed Thomas Wayne from a group calling themselves Veritas which was dated a week before his and his wife’s murder. That was to say, there wasn't much of a lead other than revealing the existence of Veritas.

Bruce believed it could have something to do with his parents’ murder but the information about Veritas was scarce or just wasn’t available. All the technology at the billionaire's disposal could turn up was a slight reference in one of Virgil Swann’s published articles which made a reference to one of his earlier books. A book which had been unpopular at the time it was published and was practically nonexistence now.

A simple solution would have been to contact the author. However, the man was a recluse and no one had seen Dr. Swann in years. Not even throwing around Bruce Wayne’s name had gotten them anywhere since the scientist was a billionaire himself and wasn’t in need of money. It was near impossible to get ahold of him and the only person to stay in regular contact with him was his daughter.

“I don’t think you can help me in this endeavor, I fear _Message from the Stars_ is out of my reach.”

“You mean the book by Dr. Swann?” the brunet absentmindedly asked as he neatly closed and stack the textbooks into three separate piles.

“You know of the book?”

“Sure, I’ve read it too. It was one of Dr. Swann’s earliest works on outer space and the development of the universe using applied mathematics to form his theories. A few chapters were dedicated to determining the possibilities of life on other planets and what their inhabitants would be like given the different environmental aspects of the star system and the plant. There was even a section theorizing what the evolutionary process of such a civilization would take along with discussion on what a discovery like that would do to Earth from economical, sociological, and political standpoints. I used it as a reference in my astronomy paper.”

“Do you still have a copy of the book?”

“No, Dr. Swann let me read his copy while he and Dr. Willowbrook discussed a collaboration between Central Kansas A&M University and Swann Communication to preserve the Kawatche Caves,” the brunet shook his head. Although, he was curious to why Clark would be sitting in on a conversation between the chief of the tribe and the founder of Swann Communication, Alfred was more concern with getting a copy of the book. “But, I could see if Dr. Swann would send you an e-copy he keeps on his personal servers if you’d like? Apparently, Dr. Swann had all his work digitized after his accident so it was close at hand if he ever needed it.”

“That would be much appreciated. Thank you,” Alfred nodded his head, pausing as he eyed the teenager. “Clark, are you aware your jacket is moving?”

Green eyes immediately glanced down and groaned when a golden-white head with floppy ears and a brown nose poked out between the canvas jacket Clark had attempted to keep closed. After eyeing the gentleman, the puppy turned his head upwards and gave a sharp yip before licking the teenager’s chin happily.

“Kr-Shelby. Shh, you need to be quiet or else they’re gonna kick us out,” Clark groaned, giving up all pretense of hiding the white puppy whose whole body was wriggling as he wagged his tail. Shelby just cocked his head to the side and walked around in circles on the young man’s lap. Shaking his head, Clark looked up with a guilty expression on his face. “Mr. Pennyworth, I’d like you to meet Shelby. I found him when I visited my parents.”

Seeing the lopsided bright, sunny smile on the teenager’s face – one that Alfred had never seen the likes of before and made his concern for the young man’s wellbeing lighten to a degree – the older gentleman couldn’t keep from smiling back.

“It would appear you did take my advice and do something for yourself over spring break after all,” and if Alfred spent a few hours that evening looking up the qualification for therapy dogs while Batman was busy taking on Crime Alley, that was his business.

It appeared to him that the puppy of Clark’s had done a world of good for the teenager’s emotional wellbeing and the older man didn’t want the boy to fall into another depression as he had after his birthday. His research also had the added bonus of keeping his mind occupied and off the information he had been able to dig up on the Veritas after receiving the _Message from the Stars_ e-book from Clark.

With the book, Bruce had been able to decipher the hidden code embedded within the pages revealing Veritas as a secret society searching for their prophesized traveler. Using the new data gained from the code along with public – and some not so public – records, the Batcomputer was able to extrapolate the identities of other members of the secret society for a grand total of six true believers – seven if one were to include the potential candidate of Thomas Wayne – and only two of them were still alive.

Of the those alive, Dr. Swann was a paraplegic due to a failed murder attempted on his life. Whereas his assistant, Bridgette Crosby wasn’t so lucky and died during a robbery gone wrong. Robert and Laura Queen were well-known for being killed in a plane crash which only few knew happened due to sabotage.

The fact that Genevieve Teague had been killed in a meteor shower only a few months prior didn’t stand out to Bruce. He was more focused on the only other member of Veritas still alive – who potential had a hand in the deaths of the other members of Veritas – Lionel Luthor. However, the information about Genevieve Teague’s dead did stand out to Alfred but for a far different reason than her involvement in the so called secret society. No, what stood out to the aged man was the name of the small town where the Teague met her end: Smallville.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I have a few ideas of where this story is going right now. Nothing concrete, yet, but I've been brainstorming and if I get around to writing things and having a pairing it will be slash, fyi. Also, I am poor, I don't read/own the comic because I can't afford to. However, I watch a lot of TV/Movies so most of the stuff I know comes from there and the fanfics I read. 
> 
> On that note, I don't like how in Smallville Jor-El sent his son to conquer Earth and he has an evil AI trying to manipulate Clark into doing that. So, in this, that never happened and things happened more in line with the Man of Steel movie but Kal-El was a toddler like in Smallville. As for Shelby, he is Krypto from Krypton sent in a test spaceship as a puppy, not a Kryptonite enhanced canine.


End file.
